Minority to sue CID over double salaries allegation

The Minority in Parliament has served notice it will sue the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police and some newspapers following allegations that former government appointees took double salaries while in office.

The Minority believes the government is resorting to intimidating tactics on its members to prevent them from criticizing the Akufo-Addo administration.

“Last week, twenty-five of us received strange letters and phone calls from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service inviting us to confer with Mrs. M.Y.T. Addo-Danquah, Deputy Commissioner of Police and to assist in investigations of allegations of double salaries made against us by Government.

“In a bizarre twist, as we were readying to appear before the CID this week beginning from yesterday considering that we had been grouped to appear on separate days, the CID called some of our colleagues to inform them that they were no longer required to appear as they had made mistakes with 18 of the 25 Minority MPs originally contacted,” Minority spokesperson for Finance Cassiel Ato Forson addressed the media on Tuesday.

He repeated: “Yes, you heard me right. As many as 18 of the 25 invitations have since been withdrawn on the basis of mistakes committed by the Government.

“Government must really be in an indecent hurry to divert attention from its failings by this pathetic attempt to cow us into submission. No wonder Government ended up with eggs on its face yesterday.”

Mr. Forson added: “It is sad that the hitherto respected and highly professional CID is being forced by excessive political maneuvering and underhand tactics to make that noble organization blunder and lose its credibility.

“Following this embarrassment to Government, they have now resorted to the arena of propaganda. Our attention has been drawn to a publication in today’s Daily Guide newspaper alleging that some 22 Article 71 appointees of the erstwhile Mahama administration were overpaid whilst serving as Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament.

“The said publication can only be a figment of the imagination of a Government that continues to betray the trust of the people.”

“We must state for the records, that contrary to the claims by the Daily Guide, no appointee has offered to make refunds of double salaries. We challenge the Daily Guide to adduce evidence of their claims. We also find it curious that the Daily Guide was unable to produce the full list of the alleged 22 appointees,” he stated.

“We repeat for emphasis that there has been no wrongdoing on our part. The NDC Minority stands ready to submit to the highest standards of accountability any day.

“Those assurances given, we know a witch-hunt when we see one. We wish to send a crystal clear message to the Akufo-Addo Government that the Minority will not be intimidated nor cowed into shirking our democratic and constitutional duties.

“We shall remain resolute and faithful to our mandate and the high expectations of the people who elected us to represent them in Parliament,” Mr. Forson emphasised.